AF tapped to fly 300 Strykers to Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Soldiers from the 27th Infantry Division offload an M1126 Stryker infantry carrier vehicle from a C-17 in 2007. A C-17 can fit four of the 19-ton vehicles.


AF tapped to fly 300 Strykers to Afghanistan
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 25, 2009 16:52:28 EST

The Army will be depending on the Air Force to deliver about 300 Stryker combat vehicles to Afghanistan, according to Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, the boss of U.S. Transportation Command.

McNabb told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that airlifting the Strykers into Afghanistan was the only option because of their highly sophisticated gear and the threat to convoys moving goods by land across Pakistan.

A C-130 Hercules can hold one 19-ton Stryker, a C-17 Globemaster has room for four and a C-5 Galaxy can carry up to five, according to military and contractor fact sheets. Commercial cargo planes could carry some of the vehicles.

The Strykers ordered to be in Afghanistan by August are assigned to the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Lewis, Wash. The Army installation is adjacent to McChord Air Force Base, a West Coast hub for C-17 operations.

Air Force and commercial cargo planes were the primary way large MRAP vehicles — short for mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles — were delivered to Afghanistan last year.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/airforce_mcnabb_strykers_022509w/%2e



uhc comment: Yup, it is hard to believe we've been shipping this stuff via air. Ya know that's gotta cost a few gas and maintenance bucks.

[Angleae]

1. How would you expect them to ship to Afghanistan?

By sea? Last time I looked Afghanistan was land-locked by some rather hostile countries.

[Fabio]

2. thru Pakistan also

[Angleae]

3. Not through that terrain.

To begin with, it's not completely under Pakistan control, it's under tribal control. Second is the terrain, is very rugged.





Can you imagine a column of 300 strykers going through that terrain in the middle of insurgent territory?

[Fabio]

4. actually

they have been moving supplies through the kyber pass/jalabad until recently.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24734233-2703,00.html

[Crowman1979]

5. And what a big mistake that turned out to be!

I think our military commanders lacked a proper education of military history outside of the US. As if they didn't know of the bloodshed that has occured there for centuries.